1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to soil dispersible, water dispersible granular nutrient and to methods for making and using such granular nutrients. More particularly, the present invention relates to granules having such nutrients embedded within a saccharide binder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous tests and many years of experience of the agriculture industry of the United States have demonstrated the need for certain nutrients for plant and animal growth. Some are more difficult than others to supply in a form which is easily taken up. In soil, there is the further problem of maintaining the nutrients in position over time.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,460 relates to the use of soil dispersible and water dispersible plant and animal nutrient compounds in a granular form comprising nutrient particles selected from the group made up of metallic oxides, metallic sulphates, metallic oxysulphates and metallic oxsulphates placed within a water-soluble saccharide binder.
U.S. Pat. No. Reissue 32,909 relates to the use of metal oxycarboxylates as suppliers of metal nutrients to plants, animals and humans.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,906 relates to the use of various divalent and trivalent metals in organic carboxylate form as starting materials for the formulation of plant fertilizers.
Prior art nutrient compounds generally suffer from disadvantages in speed and effectiveness of uptake of the nutrients. Therefore, there is a need for granular nutrient products which make the nutrients in the granules more available for plant uptake. It is an object of the present invention to provide such products.